Drawing the universe.

The article discusses how amateur astronomer Russell Crotty makes detailed observations of the Moon and the planets from his backyard observatory in order to create works of astronomical art. Rotty is the caretaker of a 130-acre property perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. Leaving Los Angeles's Rampart district for the peaceful seaside meant a significant change in surroundings. His work is shown at the CRG Gallery in New York City regularly and has been included in exhibits at numerous museums, most recently at the Miami Art Museum. To begin his work, Crotty commissioned Ed Grissom, a well-known local amateur astronomer, to build a telescope facing away from the lights of Los Angeles and toward the deep, black sky over the ocean. Solstice Peak Observatory, as Crotty calls it, cost him about $3,000 and houses his 10-inch f/8 Newtonian reflector on a proudly non-computerized, dual-axis parallax drive. Crotty also started attending star parties with fellow amateur astronomers on Mt. Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest in southwestern California, far from any city lights and perfect for stargazing. Crotty is committed to astronomy of the 19th century, when the discipline was suffused with romance and mystery. He makes straight scientific illustrations that serve as departure points for his artwork. He focuses on the circle format that gives viewers the impression of looking through the eyepiece of a telescope, a point of view that includes them in the experience of discovery. He spends the nocturnal hours in his observatory, making painstaking drawings illuminated by a tiny flashlight held in his mouth. Back in the studio, he expands and alters these firsthand impressions.